12oz bottle from the 2013 vintage, put out in room temperature from my beer fridge for about 15 minutes then poured into a Bell's snifter and quaffed today, 5/30/2013. Thanks to BarrytheBear for providing me with this excellent beer in a trade.

Aroma: Sickly sweet and roasty maltiness, kind of like a milk stout but with a humongous vanilla nose. A little bit of oak, but mostly vanilla and bourbon. Strong, strong nose that definitely foretells whats in store for me.

Colour: Pitch black, though it illuminates a very subtle dark brown in the light. Pours with a 1cm thick brown head that dissipates quickly into a very thin collar. Not much lacing besides a little bit of condensation on the glass. Actually fairly normal looking barrel-aged stout.

Flavour: Hot damn. This is strong on the vanilla and bourbon for sure. Gets a little roast malt in there but it is quite boozy in a bourbon manner, for sure. I get that nice oakiness combined with a bit of vanilla in the end as well. Very heavy on the bourbon, and as it warms up I get more chocolate and nuts, presumably from the malt combination. Near the end of each sip, I get a good hoppy bitterness as well, like espresso. Very sweet but hoppy beer in general with lots of bourbon heat. In other words, this is a pretty complex barrel-aged stout.

Mouthfeel: Thick bodied, chewy, viscous. Decent carbonation, nothing special- if anything, a bit undercarbonated. The aftertaste is very dry and sticky; a combination of vanilla, oak and coffee that gets on my palate like white on rice. Along with the heat that's present even from the very beginning, it makes this beer a sipper, which is the way it should be.

Overall: Excellent bourbon barrel-aged stout, not too over the top but brings plenty of flavour. Sounds like GLBC's modus operandi to me here. It's sweet, dry, hot, bourbon-ey, and bitter all at once. Very complex but not too over the top with any one thing. A true pleasure to sip on. Hopefully I don't black out tonight; that would be ironic. Anyway, this is a bit pricey at $30/4pk and I think I would rather pick up BCBS and hang onto it for a year. That being said, I don't think I would mind buying a 4-pack ever year if I lived close to Cleveland. So that's my 2 cents here- great beer for sure. (2,276 characters)

Very dark brown, approaching black, with deep ruby highlights. Cappuccino colored head about 1 finger deep, dissipates quickly but comes back vigorously with a swirl. The liquid coats and sticks to the glass but there is no lace. Nice looking beer.

Dark chocolate, butterscotch, burnt toast. Aromas are not overly strong but well defined and harmonious. Definitely some butterscotch, but it works just fine. As this warms I'm picking up more smokey notes. Cigar smoke. it's nice.

I'm not normally a fan of bourbon forward stouts. I love Bourbon as a predominant accent but not usually the star of the show. I feel, however, that GL does an awesome job of smacking you right in the face with the Bourbon while still keeping it from becoming overwhelming. I think the roasty nature of the base-beer helps keep the sweetness from the barrel from getting to be to much. Burnt marshmellowy and nutty. Great depth with the rise in temp, with just enough alc to let you know your enjoying an adult beverage.

I find this to be of Medium body for an Imperial Stout. It's not as heavy as most of it's peers, but I can find no fault because it still does not leave my tongue dry. It finds a way to coat it but doesn't cling at all. Carbonation seems a bit lower than I normally like, but that is most likely why it's thinner body is not an issue.

Awesome. This is great. It's so easy to drink because of the body and balance, but has none of the normal issues with a lighter bodies imp stout (astringency, tannin perception, being 'hot')...I like it. I've never had it before, and I'm glad I drank it for brunch today instead of including it in a trade (almost did). (1,701 characters)

Bomber, 2008 vintage received in a past trade with JCB. Thanks again Jason!

Pours pitch black and completely opaque with a 2.5 finger frothy beige head that has excellent retention, only slowly fading into a lasting cap. Large rings and chunks of soapy lacing left behind.

Complex aroma with a prominent barrel character complimented by deep roasted malt notes. Lots of earthy oak/wood in the nose but this is countered by hints of dark chocolate, oatmeal, coffee/espresso bean and toast.

Chewy, viscous body with a flavor profile that's similar to the aroma. Lots of dry, toasted earthy oak/wood flavor up front that is countered by a very roasted dark malt presence. Hints of bitter dark chocolate, burnt toast, oatmeal and deeply roasted coffee bean. A bit heavy on the roasted side for my liking resulting in a slightly acrid/burnt flavor but there is enough sweetness to balance things out. As the palate adjust, this becomes less harsh and the maltier, especially chocolate, notes start to come forward. Some alcohol sweetness but not much heat at 9.5%. Slight warmth n the finish. Very good! (1,103 characters)

Tastes of chocolate, rum raisin ice cream, oaky vanilla, black currants, smoke, some tannins, port wine, and bourbon. The oak and tannins are pretty prominent. Letting the the sweet flavors hang out in the background a little more.

So here is the disappointing part about this beer. The mouthfeel is quite thin. Low carbonation. Wish this was a little thicker and more syrupy.

Quite good overall, does show it's alcohol a bit which is just fine with me. Just the mouthfeel. Too darn thin. Oh well, if you are looking for an exceptional BA stout that's a little on the thin side this should be your thing. (998 characters)

Appearance: pours the dark black color that's typical of many barrel-aged stouts.. although the head on this one is a little lighter than expected; it swirls into a collection of small tan bubbles.

Smell: smells great. The bourbon is really pronounced in the aroma.

Taste: one taste and you're able to tell that this one is vastly different from the non-barreled version. Actually, I didn't care for the first few sips, but thankfully my palate readjusted. The regular Blackout has a character reminiscent of milk chocolate, with distinct coffee undertones - those attributes seem to have been replaced w/ a hefty dose of oak and mellow bourbon flavors - which isn't necessarily a bad thing. With each ensuing sip, this beer kept getting better.

Mouthfeel: I think the mouthfeel is adequate - not too full, but at the same time, I definitely wouldn't want this any thinner.

Overall: Great Lakes is a really well-rounded brewery. It seems like all of their offerings are enjoyable and this one is no exception. Seek and enjoy advocates. (1,144 characters)

What can be said about this beer that hasn't already been said in other reviews. A fantastic russian imperial stout to begin with, gets raised to a complex degree when the booze and the wood are introduced from the bourbon barrel-aging. The nose comes big with notes of booze, tobacco, burnt sugar, and caramel with wood coming through in between. Same again when it comes to the palate. All those flavors with added pleasure of bourbon, and everything that that spirit brings to the table. An exceptional ale. (510 characters)

22 oz. bottle, sent late in 2009 by one of two fine BAs (trep or pecorasc?), poured to a large snifter. '2516 Series', labeled 9.0% ABV; undated, but about 1 year old at consumption time.

A: Dark, but not 'black'; glugs from the bottle with a slight transparency/thinness. A fractional head, maybe a centimeter or so of bone/eggshell cream ebbs to a swirling film. Some fleeting bubbles rise and lace webbing sticks like snowflakes.

D: May have thinned some in its year of cellaring, which means the end result is a little thinner feeling, but soothing and velvety all the same. Maybe a little more carbonated 'oomph' was expected, but it's still a pleasingly warm medium-bodied mouth-coater.

M: Heat is diminished, drinkability flourishes. An easy sipper, surprisingly gentle on the palate. I'd be interested to compare year-aged versus fresh, but that's for another day. Well done, GLBC. (1,477 characters)

This pours a dark brown with a beige foam. Distinctively lighter in color than most beers of it's genre. The aromatics are a little on the bourbon side with some caramel malt mixed in. This is apparently still a pretty hot beer. The taste confirmed the punch of the bourbon, but the oak and the vanilla helped calm down. Interestingly the roast and chocolate flavors were secondary to the bourbon barrel notes. This was a tad astringent still, but not too much to not really enjoy this beer. It was a pleasure drinking this beer, and it goes to show GLBC can make good beer. Why they don't do it more often, I can't say. (696 characters)

12oz bottle, huge thanks to RyanMcFly1985. Poured into Founders snifter. 2516 Series (not sure what that means), bottled in 2012.

A- Pours a dark black slightly brown, mostly opaque but slightly translucent around the edges. A thin mocha head forms when pouring but quickly fades to leave pretty much no head. Some very light carbonation. Leaves some very light spotty lacing.

S- The heavy bourbon presence is definitely the first thing that hits you. Mostly bourbon but also some vanilla oak, dark fruits, light roasted malts, and some very light dark chocolate.

T- Definite bourbon but not nearly as much as in the aroma, dark fruits, vanilla from the oak, dark fruits on the finish mixed with a tiny bit of dark chocolate and more bourbon. Taste lingers for a little while.

M- Medium bodied, definitely a sipper, packs a tiny bit of heat, despite the heat though it is easy to drink, fairly low carbonation that fit well with the stout tastes.

O- This was definitely a nice BA Imperial Stout that was interesting to try. The nose was a little bit too dominated by the bourbon, but the taste was nicely balanced. This beer was definitely a sipper, there was a tiny bit of heat and the bourbon presence is a little bit heavy. The beer was nicely done with a fairly nice balance (bourbon could have been toned down a tiny bit), plenty of complex tastes, nice use of barrel aging, and a nice mouthfeel despite the slight heat. Not a beer that I'd seek out all the time, but definitely an interesting try. (1,508 characters)

A: Standard pour yields a frothy 1.5 finger frappachino colored head with big bubbles at the top and moderate retention. Beer is a comparatively thin, opaque black. Lacing is stringy with some spottiness and moderate stick.

S: Nose is very subtle for a -bal aged beer. Muted chocolate, cocoa powder, and roasted malt. Next to no booziness or heat. Slight touch of brownie and molasses.

T: Opens sweet milk chocolate, molasses, honey, and a slight bourbon heat. Brown sugar, fudge brownie, sweet liquorice, prunes, raisins, and coca-cola towards the middle. A tickle of bourbon at the end followed by a brown sugar and honey finish and a sweet, chocolate aftertaste.

M: Medium bodied with low carbonation. Filmy and oily in the mouth but not really heavy or sticky. Goes down super smooth with very little heat considering the abv. Finish is messy with an aftertaste that lingers.

D: One of the easiest drinking -bal aged imperial stouts that I've come across, this is a completely different animal compared to the regular blackout stout which I wasn't a huge fan of. Not fantastically complex but it has all the sweet, roasty, bourbony character that I need. Well worth searching out and I can't wait to see how this one develops. (1,306 characters)

O: Overall silky texture, cleanly brewed,exceptionally smooth BA version of their black out stout. Only 1 keg in N.J. this year 2015-june, which kicked 16 min. in and glad to have been served. $8 pour, well worth. it. Abv% is hidden in the flavor, but you feel it afterwards. (957 characters)

A: Well it's dark - like that's a surprise. I mean it's got the word "Blackout" in it's name. Did you think it was gonna be anything but? A generous pour yields a 1.5 mocha head and a creamy, thick collar as the head fades.

S: Chocolate brownie batter and a touch of red fruit. As it warms, some of that lovely bourbon makes it's way into my nostrils.

T: Vanilla, toasted coconut and a bit of warm bourbon are the stars of the show. It's really well put together. There's a bit of a hop bite and charred malt on the back end.

M: Having had this on tap at the brewery, I was extremely disappointed in the mouthfeel. It felt like a weak cask ale. This bottled version though, is worlds better. Thick, dense and yes, the carbonation is right on. Not nearly the oily mess I found at the pub a couple of months ago.

O: What a great beer. Isn't it sick how well Great Lakes brews? How is it that they're not talked about as one of the best brewery in the good ol' US of A? Really, folks. Like 95% of their portfolio, their BA Blackout shines in most every way. Worthy of the hype, and something I recommend drinking fresh.

22oz bottle obtained in trade with unclejedi. Thanks for the opportunity.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 1/2" light brown head over the opaque dark brown/black brew. Head recedes promptly, with leggy dwindling lace. Aroma is dark grains, vanilla, and alcohol. Taste is roasty sweetness upfront, barrel character in the middle, and alcohol warmth at the close. Mouthfeel is velvety smooth, almost seems to evaporate off the tongue, and drinkability is very nice for the style. Could stand for a bit more body, but all in all a great offering. (557 characters)

S: nose features a considerable amount of oak up front. The bourbon character is there and features notes of vanilla and molasses. Chocolate and raisins come through towards the finish.

T: oak and bourbon up front, lots of vanilla and chocolate. It seems as if the barrel aging has really transformed this beer- having difficult tasting the base beer. Finish is dry. This has awesome balance for a barrel aged stout...the bourbon is in now way overpowering.

MF: a little thinner than expected, or I should say thinner than I remember the regular Blackout Stout being. Carbonation is mellow.

pours out pretty much opaque black, some rubiness evident on the edges in the light. a nice creamy light mocha colored head with good retention. some thin lacing and just a bit of legs left on the glass after a swirl.

nice, warming bourbon in the aroma, turns into some solvent like booze as it warms. behind the bourbon is some vanilla and a bit of some cocoa and roasted, burnt malts.

very nice taste, the bourbon is very strong and right at the forefront. some nice mellow vanilla and oaky barrel qualitites go with the bourbon nicely. also some very nice dark chocolate flavors. rich and boozey, very nice taste.

just a bit too thin for the style IMO, but it has a nice rich feel to it. a nice low amount of carbonation.

a very good barrel aged impy stout, but the bourbon is very strong with it being so fresh which might be a turn off to some and it does come off a bit thin. i think age will greatly improve this beer as it didnt really seem to live up to some of the older vintages ive had in the past. (1,088 characters)

Thanks to Sepiroth for the beer.Black in color with a small lasting fizzy chocolate colored head. Nice lacing for the style.Bourbon and charcoal in the aroma.Nice mixture of RIS and bourbon flavors with neither overwhelming the other. RIS flavors include chocolate, coffee, and roasted malts. The roasted malts are not as strong as most RISs though the beer does not miss it much b/c the bourbon flavors fill in nicely. I'm really starting to like these bourbon aged beers.Mouthfeel is a bit thin for the style but the bourbon adds a nice sharpness that keeps the mouthfeel interesting.Good, drinkable, another fine beer from Great Lakes brewing. (651 characters)

Appearance - Dark brown colour with an average size frothy beige head. I can't make out the amount of carbonation showing and there is some good lacing. The head lasted for around 3-4 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Malts, chocolate, grains, coffee, wood/booze

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and I can taste malts, chocolate, and faint coffee. There is also nutty/pie crust type flavour

Overall - I was expecting it to be a little thicker looking, but its fairly light and lively and it has a tremendous flavour. It's a big beer but it is still very well balanced and all the flavours work very well together. The barrel aging isn't all that pronounced, it just accentuates the beer a touch. A high quality brew that is surprising not cloying in the least. (859 characters)

Pours a brownish black with good head and lacing into a 10 oz snifter. Quite the vanilla and oak on the nose with some bourbon and coffee in there as well. Throughly enjoyed the tastes of chocolate, bourbon, vanilla and malts. Full mouthfeel, good carbonation and very creamy. Could have had a couple of these, but wanted to try some other brewpub only releases there.

Have had this years vintage in the bottle as well and it is shaping up nicely. (500 characters)

The color is almost black and the dark brown head is small. Retention is decent and there is some lacing. Aroma is of chocoloate, cocoa, coffee, vanilla, and a very little bourbon. BA Blackout tastes like bittersweet chocolate. There is some coffee but a small amount. The alcohol is noticeable. The bourbon that was absent in the aroma is more apparent in the flavor, but still understated. Finish is bitter chocolate and alcohol. Medium - full bodied with medium carbonation. (477 characters)

Thanks to Callenak for this one. I had to give up a barrel aged beer for this one myself. Bottle 409/900 2006 vintage

A: Some wierd chunky white substance formed under the cap around the underside of the glass which had to be removed before pouring. Pours thinner than one would have expected. Viscosity for a 9% imp stout is much lower than normal. Beer is dark but not black with a crisp aspect to it. Head is shaky at best, there's a minor film at the top of the beer with a dark beige weak ring around the glass.

S: Major bourbon on the nose. I also get some smore's (chocolate, graham as well as marshmallow), port and oak.

T: Starts like a bourbon and coke with the coke adding that familiar cola twang to the front of the tongue. Chocolate moves in quick leaning towards the chocolate icing side with a woody character to it. Really vinous, oily and slick with solid muffin dough aspects. Alcohol is there with minor licorice, cafe au lait and vanilla.

M: Smooth and silky but thin overall.

D: I love bourbon beers but this one is on the heavy end. Its really so strong that is masks the beer opposed to "enhancing" it. In all honesty, the original Blackout wasn't a favorite of mine so I actually like this one better. But it is off balanced and could be dialed back a bit. (1,297 characters)